NAHL Announces Rosters for the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the official rosters for the 2026 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. The tournament will return to the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, from February 16-17, 2026.
The NAHL has invested in more opportunities for players this season and has expanded the annual event to seven teams. Four of the rosters will feature divisional teams featuring athletes from their respective divisions (Central, East, Midwest, South). Alongside them, there will be three at-large ‘Selects’ teams, consisting of younger talent born from 2006-2009.
The rosters for the Central, East, Midwest, and South divisions were formed based on each team’s winning percentage as of January 18, 2026. Each divisional team’s assigned head coach chooses his roster from each team’s nominations of college-ready players in their division. Just like the selection of rosters, the division coaches were determined by each team’s winning percentage in their respective divisions. The first-place team will have their coach serve as the head coach, while the second-place team secures the assistant coaching spot.
The ‘Selects’ teams were chosen with the help of NAHL coaches, NCAA coaches, and NHL Central Scouting. The three ‘Selects’ teams will feature athletes across all four divisions. In addition, the team will be coached by NAHL coaches based on winning percentage.
This annual event marks the special return of the USNTDP for the first time since 2022. With eight games over two days at the USA Hockey Arena, this is a prime opportunity for athletes to showcase their talents on the ice. NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, and NHL scouts will all be in attendance.
Head coach of the Anchorage Wolverines, Mike Aikens, shares why the Top Prospects Tournament has become a staple recruiting event for NCAA teams.
“The NAHL is heavily scouted by NCAA teams all season, but to have all of the Top Prospects playing together in one location makes for a good opportunity to see a bunch of great talent in the same trip. Schools get to see the best of both the available players now and the future prospects.”
Head coach of the St. Cloud Norsemen, Joe Exter, shared similar sentiments on why having a scouting event like this is both exciting and beneficial to players.
“The Top Prospects Tournament is a stepping stone for players to land the college opportunity they have been working towards. This year, the NAHL talent pool is stronger than it has ever been. With this talent, scouts throughout college hockey will be at the event looking to find the type of player their program is looking for. Players could not ask for a better opportunity. It’s going to be exciting to watch.”
All teams will be composed of 20 players (12 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies), for a total of 140 athletes. In addition, this year the games will feature three 17-minute periods, with an intermission halfway through the second period.
The 2026 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament Rosters:
Team Central: Click Here
Team East: Click Here
Team Midwest: Click Here
Team South: Click Here
Selects White: Click Here
Selects Blue: Click Here
Selects Red: Click Here
NAHL Top Prospects Head Coaches:
Team Central: Steve Howard, Austin (HC), Garrett Roth, Bismarck (AC)
Team East: Clint Mylymok, Maryland (HC), Nick Skerlick, Maine (AC)
Team Midwest: Zach Stepan, Minnesota W (HC), Dakota Bell, Fairbanks (AC)
Team South: Dan Wildfong, Lone Star (HC), Kyle McKenzie, New Mexico (AC)
Team Selects White: François Méthot, Rochester (HC), John Mitchell, Wisconsin (AC)
Team Selects Blue: Scott Langer, Aberdeen (HC), Bryan Erikson, Northeast (AC)
Team Selects Red: Todd Pococke, Springfield (HC), Mike Rivera, El Paso (AC)
2026 NAHL Top Prospects Schedule (all times eastern, subject to change):
Monday, February 16th
➜ Selects Blue vs. Selects Red, 12:30 PM
➜ South vs. Midwest, 2:45 PM
➜ East vs. Central, 5:00 PM
➜ USNTDP vs. Selects White, 7:15 PM
Tuesday, February 17th
➜ Central vs. South, 10:00 AM
➜ Midwest vs. East, 12:15 PM
➜ Selects White vs. Selects Red, 2:30 PM
➜ USNTDP vs. Selects Blue, 4:45 PM
All games from the 2026 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will be broadcasted live and in HD exclusively on NAHLTV.
Similar to years past, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is being held in conjunction with the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament. Make sure to get your tickets! For more information about the event make sure to click here.
